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Originally Posted by JohnRPollard
....Man, this is a wordy post. Apologies to anyone who made it this far...
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Wordy, perhaps, but every word a good one, as usual, John.
I would just add that those thinking to add an Asymmetrical spinnaker in the belief that it's a cruisers sail and always easier to handle than a conventional poled symmetrical may be surprised one day. It is pretty easy to fly initially but when things pipe up they can be just as much a handful, if not more so, than a conventional kite.
Most of these sails sold to cruisers are somewhat conservative in size and therefore easier to deal with, but the breeze can sneak up on you, especially when you're running/reaching downwind.
My son, an experienced foredeck crew on a variety of boats ranging from Thompson 6.5s to Transpac 52s recently started sailing on a Melges 32. With the long sprit the foot length of that Asym is nearly 36 feet long - longer than the boat and an absolute bear to take down in a breeze. 1200 sq ft on a lightweight 32er... spinnaker alone. Obviously this is not the typical casual sailor's situation, but even these smaller asyms can be a handful under certain conditions if things to cockeyed.
That said, having one can really speed up and add to the enjoyment of a long, lazy reach to a distant destination.